Côté Gold Blast Captain DevFest Challenge

Overview

The Côté Gold Blast Captain DevFest Challenge was a six-week AI competition organized by IAMGOLD's Côté Gold Mine in partnership with Laurentian University, Cambrian College, and Google Developers Group Sudbury. Teams were tasked with building AI models to evaluate open-pit mining blasts using drone video footage — a process that traditionally costs millions and takes weeks of manual analysis.

The Alpha Nova team, competing as "Alpha Nova & Associates," took home the $5,000 Blast Captain Prize for 1st place out of 29 teams.

The Challenge

• Analyze drone footage of open-pit mining blasts to evaluate blast quality and fragmentation
• Build AI/ML models capable of processing complex video data from real mining operations
• Reduce blast analysis time from weeks of manual review to seconds using artificial intelligence
• Compete against 29 teams from universities and colleges across Ontario
• Deliver a working solution within a six-week development sprint

Our Solution

• Computer Vision Pipeline: Built an AI model to process drone video footage and extract meaningful blast performance metrics
• Fragmentation Analysis: Machine learning algorithms trained to evaluate rock fragmentation patterns from blast results
• Real-Time Processing: Reduced blast analysis from a process costing millions to results generated in seconds
• Data-Driven Insights: Automated reporting on blast quality to help mining engineers optimize future operations
• Collaborative Development: Cross-functional team combining software engineering, AI expertise, and mining domain knowledge

Impact

• Demonstrated practical application of AI in the mining industry
• Reduced blast analysis from a million-dollar process to seconds
• Featured in Cambrian College News, IAMGOLD Corporate Blog, and The Sudbury Star
• Showcased Northern Ontario's growing AI talent and innovation ecosystem